Review(s): DVD Miyazaki 6 Pack (Castle in the Sky/Kiki's Delivery Service/Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind/Porco Rosso/Princess Mononoke/Spirited Away)
A Mass of Anime Classics
Miyazaki just knows how to entertain us. So much so that a huge name such as Disney would pick up his Japanese films. And this is as good a team as I've seen in quite some time (Disney and Ghibli). Disney has the capability of getting those big named voices (Uma Thurman, Patrick Stewart, and Michael Keaton to name a few) that make these movies twice as magical as they already are.
This collection brings together not just two of Miyazaki's truest masterpieces (Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke) but also four more of his past successes. With Howl's Moving Castle looming for DVD release this is a great way to get yourself affiliated with Ghibli work. I'd recommend these to anyone but especially parents who want some family time but are completely bored with what their children enjoy. Not all movies work for the entire family, however. One, Princess Mononoke is definitely more mature than others, while Kiki's Delivery Service is geared more for the kids.
Below is a list of shorter reviews:
Spirited Away: Miyazaki's Oscar winner about a girl who gets lost in a spirit world and must become a worker to survive while also trying to save both her parents and her memory. It's a children's love story filled with morals.
Princess Mononoke: Miyazaki's action film, this movie starts out exciting and end in the same way. A fantasy epic of gods, monsters, and the humanity's capabilities for good.
Porco Rosso: Miyazaki's love of the sea and planes becomes apparent with this movie, about a man turned pig who must battles air-pirates in order to save the Adriatic. Funny the whole way through, but with a few touching moments in between.
Nausicaa...: This is a relevant tale about human and nature and our wont for destruction. The humans of the Valley of the Wind battle giant insects and a poisonous jungle to keep the jungle itself from spreading. Nausicaa isn't too serious but there is a clear theme.
Kiki's Delivery Service: This is a tale of a young witch who must go out in the world in order to learn what her capabilities are, and she takes a job as a delivery girl. As heartwarming as any of Miyazaki's films, the children will love this one.
Castle in the Sky: This film follows two young people as they seek out the mysterious castle in the sky. The girl searches to find the secrets of her past and the boy searches to follow the dreams of his dead father.
pushing and shoving
Ever wonder how the top-ranked reviewers force their way to the top?
They vote for their own reviews over and over.
So brilliant. So clever. But not "well-done"! Certainly not the mark of a professional.
Talk about the triumph of noise over signal, chaos over order, and quantity over quality!
If you prefer a Studio Ghibli set...
If you want more of these types of works, look for the Studio Ghibli DVD boxed sets that have 12 (blue box) or 14 (white box) movies depending on which set you can find. If you don't mind paying for shipping, a lot are available from Australian sites if you don't like the Hong Kong (Chinese) packaging.
I know that the white box set has movies that offer both English and Japanese audio. I prefer to hear them in their native Japanese dialogue (it's more authentic). Sometimes I'd watch the anime a second time to disregard the dialogue and pay attention to the details (facial expressions, background, shadows, colors, etc.)
Ghibli and Miyazaki movies are generally wholesome with simple plots but with lots of heart and strong messages.
Related DVD's Miyazaki 6 Pack (Castle in the Sky/Kiki's Delivery Service/Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind/Porco Rosso/Princess Mononoke/Spirited Away)
Hayao Miyazaki (Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro) achieved his first international hit with this delightful 1979 adventure yarn. Quick-paced, high-spirited, and loaded with wit, Cagliostro is a dandy throwback to the caper pictures of the '60s. International man of mystery Lupin III stumbles back into the picturesque European duchy of Cagliostro with his faithful and gruff sidekick, Jigen. They will encounter, in no particular order, a runaway bride, a magical ring, an evil count with a dastardly plan, an inspector bent on catching Lupin, perilous rooftop chases, hooded guards with superhuman powers, a well-used dungeon, a counterfeiting scheme, and an ancient mystery promising grand treasure. Lupin deploys an array of Bond-type gadgets, razor-sharp wit,... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Hayao Miyazaki DVD Release Date: Released the 25 April 2000 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Isao Takahata's powerful antiwar film has been praised by critics wherever it has been screened around the world. When their mother is killed in the firebombing of Tokyo near the end of World War II, teenage Seita and his little sister Setsuko are left on their own: their father is away, serving in the Imperial Navy. The two children initially stay with an aunt, but she has little affection for them and resents the time and money they require. The two children set up housekeeping in a cave by a stream, but their meager resources are quickly exhausted, and Seita is reduced to stealing to feed his sister.
The strength of Grave of the Fireflies lies in Takahata's evenhanded portrayal of the characters. A sympathetic doctor, the greedy aunt, the disinterested cousins all know there... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Tsutomu Tatsumi - Ayano Shiraishi - Akemi Yamaguchi Director(s): Isao Takahata DVD Release Date: Released the 08 October 2002 Usually ships in 24 hours
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My Neighbor Totoro is that rare delight, a family film that appeals to children and adults alike. While their mother is in the hospital, 10-year-old Satsuki and 4-year-old Mei move into an old-fashioned house in the country with their professor father. At the foot of an enormous camphor tree, Mei discovers the nest of King Totoro, a giant forest spirit who resembles an enormous bunny rabbit. Mei and Satsuki learn that Totoro makes the trees grow, and when he flies over the countryside or roars in his thunderous voice, the winds blow. Totoro becomes the protector of the two sisters, watching over them when they wait for their father, and carrying them over the forests on an enchanted journey. When the children worry about their mother, Totoro sends them to visit her via a Catbus, a... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Noriko Hidaka - Hitoshi Takagi Director(s): Hayao Miyazaki DVD Release Date: Released the 03 December 2002 This item is currently not available.
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Artist-writer Katsuhiro Ôtomo began telling the story of Akira as a comic book series in 1982 but took a break from 1986 to 1988 to write, direct, supervise, and design this animated film version. Set in 2019, the film richly imagines the new metropolis of Neo-Tokyo, which is designed from huge buildings down to the smallest details of passing vehicles or police uniforms. Two disaffected orphan teenagers--slight, resentful Tetsuo and confident, breezy Kanada--run with a biker gang, but trouble grows when Tetsuo start to resent the way Kanada always has to rescue him. Meanwhile, a group of scientists, military men, and politicians wonder what to do with a collection of withered children who possess enormous psychic powers, especially the mysterious, rarely seen Akira, whose awakening... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Mitsuo Iwata - Nozomu Sasaki - Mami Koyama Director(s): Katsuhiro Ôtomo DVD Release Date: Released the 24 July 2001 Usually ships in 24 hours
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The Cat Returns (2002) brings back Muta, the cranky fat cat, and Baron von Gikkingen, the elegant statue, from the feature Whisper of the Heart (1995). On her way home from school, Haru, a confused 17-year-old, prevents an elegant gray cat from being hit by a truck. She's inadvertently saved the life of Lune, Prince of the Cat Kingdom, and his royal father decides to thank her. He fills her locker with gift-wrapped mice and decides she should come to his kingdom and marry Lune. Haru seeks help from the Cat Bureau, and eventually returns to relatively normal life, with the assistance of Muta and the Baron.
The Cat Returns recalls Whisper of the Heart and Takashi Nakamura's Catnapped, but it offers neither the wistful charm of the former nor the... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Chizuru Ikewaki - Yoshihiko Hakamada Director(s): Hiroyuki Morita DVD Release Date: Released the 22 February 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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